Chapter 2
683 Words
The words had barely left my mouth when every eye locked on me, gaping like I'd grown a second head and completely lost my mind.
Kian stared at me with that smug "save your breath, I already get it all" look, oozing pity from every pore.
"Hazel, I know the broken engagement hit you hard," he said. "But you don't have to degrade yourself like this. I know you still love me deep down. All that stuff you just said was just angry nonsense, right? If you just apologize to Chloe and cheer her up, we can reschedule the engagement. I'll even make it up to you with a proper wedding, so you don't have to walk away wronged."
Ugh, could you believe how absurd that was?
Did he really think I couldn't survive without him? That every single thing I'd done today was just a desperate ploy to win him back?
My mom grabbed Chloe's hand and shot me a pointed, insistent wink, willing me to go along.
"Hazel, know when to quit while you're ahead," she said. "Hurry up and apologize to Chloe, then this whole mess blows over. Stop making a scene."
My dad nodded right along with her. "That's right, a happy family is a harmonious family. Apologize properly to Chloe, and we can smooth this whole thing over nicely," he said.
Triumph glittered darkly in Chloe's eyes, but she pulled a perfect pout and twisted her face into a picture of hurt.
"Hazel, I'll forgive you as long as your apology is sincere," she said. "We're real sisters, after all. I hate seeing you fight with Kian over me like this."
No sooner had she said the words than she turned and curled up against Kian, batting her eyelashes in a shameless display of coquetry.
"Kian, let me handle all the arrangements for the new engagement, okay?" she said. "I'll pull off a gorgeous, lavish party that everyone will talk about, so you and my sister don't have to stress over a single thing."
Kian nodded immediately, his voice so sweet and doting it practically dripped honey. "Sure, whatever you want. Your happiness is all that matters," he replied.
Watching them fawn over each other like I wasn't even standing right there made my stomach churn violently, and I felt nauseous.
I huffed a sharp, mocking snort.
"Don't bother with that," I said. "My husband will take care of everything I need, so there's no need for an outsider like you to stick your nose in my business."
Chloe's smile dropped right off her face in an instant.
Kian's brows also furrowed deep, irritation dripping from his tone.
"Hazel, why are you still throwing a fit?" he asked. "We're already at this point, why are you still spouting this angry garbage? This little game of hard to get worked once or twice, but it gets old really fast."
Mom was instantly furious.
"Hazel. Don't be ungrateful," she said. "Kian has already been so forgiving to you, what more could you possibly want?"
I threw back a laugh.
"Why would I need his forgiveness?" I said. "If you ask me, it's these two rat bastards that should be begging me for mercy. My dear little sister, you haven't forgotten how I fired you, have you? You only lasted three days at my company. You never did a lick of real work, but you still managed to sell our company's core client data to our competitors. Because of you, the company lost five million dollars straight up. You'd better pay every last cent of that money back within a month."
Panic shot through Chloe immediately.
"I didn't do it," she said. "You're framing me. I never sold that data."
I stared coldly at her as she screamed her innocence at the top of her lungs.
"Do you think saying it didn't happen makes it true?" I said. "I'd save those tears if I were you. If you don't pay back that five million dollars, you'll have all the time in the world to cry once you're locked up in prison."
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